Disney Water Parks: Typhoon Lagoon vs Blizzard Beach for UK Families

My eldest son once refused to leave Blizzard Beach for two hours because he'd worked out that if he ran fast enough between rides, he could get five turns on Summit Plummet before we had to head back for our dinner reservation. He was eleven, drenched, sunburnt despite three applications of factor 50, and completely, gloriously happy. That's the thing about Disney's water parks that nobody really tells you before you go: they're not the add-on day, the "if we have time" option. For a lot of families, they end up being the favourite day of the whole holiday.

We've done both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach more times than I can count now, across trips with toddlers, tweens and, this year, a fully-fledged teenager who thinks he's too cool for Disney until he's stood at the top of a slide. So here's what I've actually learned about the two of them, and which one might suit your lot better.

Typhoon Lagoon: the wave pool that started as a hurricane

The story goes that a freak storm hit a sleepy fishing village and left a shrimp boat balanced on top of a mountain. That boat, the Miss Tilly, still sits up there today with its horn sounding out every half hour or so, which is your cue that a fresh set of waves is about to roll through the wave pool below. My youngest was properly frightened by that horn the first time, clung to my leg like it was the end of the world, and then spent the rest of the afternoon asking me to take her back in so she could hear it again.

Typhoon Lagoon's whole personality is built around that wave pool. It's one of the biggest in America, and on a hot July afternoon it's absolutely rammed with families bobbing about, which is honestly part of the fun. Beyond the waves, Castaway Creek is the lazy river that loops the whole park, brilliant for the bit in the afternoon when everyone's tired but nobody wants to admit it. Crush 'n' Gusher is the water coaster, three tracks that launch you uphill as well as down, and it's the closest thing either park has to a proper thrill ride. Humunga Kowabunga is three body slides dropping you almost straight down, which my husband loves and I have done exactly once.

If you've got a little one, Ketchakiddee Creek is a gentle, shaded splash area that's genuinely well designed, not just a token paddling pool bolted onto the side.

Blizzard Beach: the ski resort that never should have existed

Blizzard Beach's backstory is even better, if you ask me. A freak Florida snowstorm let Disney build a ski resort, the snow melted overnight, and the whole thing got turned into a water park instead. There's a chairlift, actual ski jump signage, and a bobsled-style slide called Snow Stormers that leans into the joke properly. It's silly and it works.

The big one here is Summit Plummet, 120 feet up, and you drop close to 60mph on the way down. It looks completely mad from the ground and it's exactly as fast as it looks. My son's obsession with it started the moment he was tall enough to ride, and every trip since has involved at least one queue purely for that. Slush Gusher is the slightly gentler sibling slide if you want the drop without quite that much commitment.

For families, Teamboat Springs is the one I'd point you towards first. It's a raft ride that everyone can do together, twisting and turning down the mountain, and there's something nice about all of you landing in a heap at the bottom laughing. Cross Country Creek is the lazy river equivalent to Castaway Creek, and Tike's Peak is the toddler area, complete with a mini version of Mount Gushmore so the little ones feel like they're doing the big kids' ride too.

Which one actually suits your family

Toddlers and young children

Both parks handle little ones well, but I'd give Typhoon Lagoon a slight edge for shade and the layout of Ketchakiddee Creek. Blizzard Beach can feel more exposed in places, and Florida sun at midday with a three year old is no joke.

Tweens and thrill-curious kids

This is where Blizzard Beach usually wins in our house. Summit Plummet and Slush Gusher give older kids something to build a whole day's bragging rights around, in a way Typhoon Lagoon's slides don't quite match.

Teenagers who think they're above it all

Bring them to Blizzard Beach and dare them to do Summit Plummet. It works every time.

If you're already building out your days at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom, a water park day is worth slotting in deliberately rather than leaving to chance, especially if you're visiting in the thick of a Florida summer.

Making the most of a water park day in July

Arrive early. Both parks open at the same time as the theme parks, and by eleven in the morning the queues for Summit Plummet or Crush 'n' Gusher can be forty minutes plus. The same early arrival logic that works for beating queues at Disney World and Universal applies just as much here, it's just less talked about.

Watch the sky, not the clock. Florida summer afternoons bring thunderstorms most days, often clearing within the hour, and the parks will close the pools and slides for lightning. It genuinely doesn't ruin the day if you've planned around it, but don't be the family stuck queuing for a locker in a downpour with no dry clothes to change into.

Bring your own towels and reef-safe sunscreen if you can, buying them at the park is expensive, and reapply more often than feels necessary. Water and sun together burn kids faster than either does alone, something I learned the hard way on our first ever Orlando holiday.

One last thing: don't try to do both parks on the same trip if your days are tight. Pick the one that suits your family's ages and energy, build it properly into your plan, and let it be the day everyone actually looks forward to. If you haven't mapped out your days yet, a sample Orlando itinerary is a good starting point, or you can put together your own trip plan and slot the water park day in where it makes sense for your family.